Ridge-Til is a farming technique wherein defined ridges are formed and the seed to be planted is placed directly on the uppermost surface of the ridge. It has been found that there are certain advantages to this farming technique as compared to what is known as flat field farming. One particular advantage is water and washout control, and another is the ease of weed control. Use of this particular technique has grown in the last several years, and one particular area of difficulty and importance to which applicant's unit provides the solution is proper guiding of the planter units to place the seed into the uppermost surface of the formed ridge.
Applicant has knowledge of commercial available units and has found no units which incorporate the concepts of the included design, which basically provides for a vertically moveable guiding unit to accomplish proper guiding and to permit override of obstacles and normally maintain the guiding elements in proper ground contact.
The applicant has also searched the prior applicable patent art and has found the following list of applicable patents. These are: Payne, U.S. Pat. No. 1,030,244; Bateman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,390; Harter, U.S. Pat. No. 330,022; Alam, U.S. Pat. No. 1,266,542; Crutcher, U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,649; Bateman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,895,962.
The two patents to Bateman and the patents to Crutcher and Payne each disclose a pair of guiding discs but do not provide a downwardly directed biasing member to maintain discs in ground contact or to allow them to ride up over obstructions and return to the ground thereafter. The Payne patent does allow for upward mobility but does not provide for a loaded downward force.
The patents to Alam and Harter each provide a pair of guiding discs with means for spring loading the same and the Alam patent discloses, only through interpretation, that a certain degree of adjustability may be made to the spring load. The Alam patent also discloses a device which is in combination with a planting tool, but it does not allow for the adjustability and range of operative adjustment that is provided with the applicant's unit. The Harter unit includes a spring mechanism with minimal or no adjustable features associated therewith.
In addition to these statements regarding the prior art it should also be considered that the Crutcher patent provides disc round openers and not guiding members. Bateman U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,390 utilizes the discs cover placed seed and this is also true in Bateman U.S. Pat. No. 1,895,962. Again, the Payne patent provides a seed covering device while the Alan patent utilizes the discs for driving the seed dropping mechanisms. The Harter patent does not utilize the discs in any manner which could be construed as guiding.
Applicant's device provides a high degree of adjustability for accomodation of differences in planter operating heights as well as various tractor tire sizes, and the spring combination, providing knee action to the guiding discs affords a high range of operative considerations. The unit provided herein permits the guide discs to maintain ground contact and return to proper ground contact after overriding obstacles.
The objects of the invention are basically to provide a guide unit for guiding along formed ridges in Ridge-Til farming techniques to effectively and properly guide planter mechanisms associated therewith into proper seed locating positions on the uppermost surfaces of the ridges.
The objects also include a downwardly directed loading pressure upon the guide discs to maintain the same in ground contact, thus maintaining the ridge and aligning the planter unit along the ridge.
Additional objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will become obvious with a consideration of the accompanying drawings and disclosure of the invention.